On Mon, 2011-03-07 at 16:18 -0800, James Bottomley wrote:> On Mon, 2011-03-07 at 15:54 -0800, Bhanu Gollapudi wrote:> > On Mon, 2011-03-07 at 12:16 -0800, Mariusz Kozlowski wrote: > > > On Wed, Mar 02, 2011 at 11:10:03PM +0100, Mariusz Kozlowski wrote:> > > > drivers/scsi/bnx2fc/bnx2fc_fcoe.c:1815: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type> > > > drivers/scsi/bnx2fc/bnx2fc_fcoe.c:1815: error: ‘MODULE_STATE_LIVE’ undeclared (first use in this function)> > > > > > Hm. Still there in next-20110307. Is this patch wrong or..?> > > > > > > James,> > > > Here is my ack for this patch.> > OK, so the patch is actually wrong because adding #ifdefs on modules in> files really impedes readability. The bug is using a direct deref on> module state instead of one of the APIs which work in the non-modular> case, namely try_module_get(). That means the other two need to come out> and be reworked (plus all the others in fcoe).> > Reworked looks like it might be a bigger item than bnx2fc. If any of> those tests is ever relevant, it means we have a race in the> fcoe_transport because it shouldn't be calling function pointers on a> dying module (unless it wants to trigger an oops).> > So, why are you trying to do this in the first place?> First, fcoe.c started with these checks. Here is a comment in fcoe.c atthe point of one of the checks.

/* * Make sure the module has been initialized, and is not about to be * removed. Module paramter sysfs files are writable before the * module_init function is called and after module_exit. */

I don't know the correct way to fix that race is, but we may be past theneed to fix it in the LLDs.

Next, the fcoe transport was added. Since it (libfcoe.ko) is now callingwhat used to be the fcoe.ko sysfs entry points I don't think the problemexists in fcoe.c or in bnx2fc_fcoe.c, the problem should be in the fcoetransport code, as James suggested.

The fcoe transport code already has these checks to protect againstsysfs files being writable before module initialization is complete. Ituses the ft_mutex to protect the list of transports(LLDs) so when'create' is called it knows that the transport is still there to calldown to. It holds the ft_mutex until the LLD's 'create' routine returns.The transports(LLDs) should be detaching themselves from the fcoetransport layer before they exit. fcoe_transport_detach will try toacquire the ft_mutex and block until the 'create' call returns andreleases the ft_mutex. I think this ensures that the transport(LLD) willbe fine when the fcoe transport calls it.

My feeling is that these checks are still needed in the fcoe transport,but not in the LLDs. If someone can suggest a better way to protectagainst writable sysfs files when the module hasn't finishedinitializing, we should do that instead of the ifdefs.

Hope this helps,

//Rob

FYI: mnc asked about this code and the trylock code in fcoe and libfcoe.I have patches in our internal validation to remove the trylock usage,but I don't have patches to fix the module state checking.